


Five Times Zalex were Liberty's 'It' Couple

by saintmatrix



Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV)
Genre: Alex is an angry grump, Alex!Alt Kid, Boyfriends, High School, Jealousy, Jock!Zach, M/M, They Deserved Endgame, Zach is the biggest himbo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:15:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26312485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saintmatrix/pseuds/saintmatrix
Summary: As the title says, five times Zach and Alex were Liberty's 'IT' couple, exerting their joint iconicism.ORAlex and Zach being jealous, possessive losers.
Relationships: Zach Dempsey/Alex Standall
Comments: 3
Kudos: 84





	Five Times Zalex were Liberty's 'It' Couple

**Author's Note:**

> Found this lingering in my documents so I decided to finish it.  
> TW for homophobic f slur, ableist language and explicit assault. 
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy and I miss seeing lone Zalex fics so this is for those missing these boys more than usual.
> 
> \- Avon

**1.**

It wasn’t a rare occurrence for the new kids to take an interest in the beef-headed jock’s. Be it those interested in assimilating into the clique, innocent albeit ‘bully’ material kids determined to stay clear of potential predators or pubescent girls swooning at the scarce chance of hitching the arm of some muscled baboon and upping the popularity scale. Everyone navigated within their orbit. Jessica had the misfortune of escorting the latter—another new girl with that gleam in her eyes that saw a new school as a fresh start, immersed with opportunity and the chance to reinvent yourself, right before said expectations were crushed. 

Her name was Jackie? Jacy? Joseline? Jessica didn’t care, she just wanted to get this tour over with and spend the remainder of her afternoon cramping for her calculus test tomorrow. Just as she was making her way toward the library with the new girl, the nontourage made their grand entrance, voices booming and stride stumpy in that obnoxious way that demanded attention, whether you wanted to bestow it to them or not. They were never immune, Jessica knew that—she had fallen victim to Justin's jock-esque aura too.

“Who is that?” the new girl asked, mouth wide and gaping in uncensored captivation. 

Jessica pitied J-girl, of course, her eyes had caught one of the few spoken for baboons. 

“That… is Zach Dempsey, he’s as jock as they come—quarterback, football captain, practically plays every sport known to man and sorta sweet, weird,” Jessica replied with concealed disinterest, sick of this almost routine narration. 

“And he’s—.”

Just as Jessica was about to reveal Zach’s relationship status, said jock approached his locker, mouth upturned into a broad grin at the slender individual awaiting his arrival. She didn’t need to say much else because seconds later, the jock tugged at the individual’s waist and pulled him into a deep kiss. The accompanying knuckleheads whistled vehemently, some groaning and demanding that the couple get a room while others threw in some ‘get it Dempsey’, ‘yes Z man!’.

The turn of events had the new girl gaping in a completely different way, eyes tinged with shock but face plastered with a smile of tentative consideration and happiness for the pair. 

“As you can see, he’s got a boyfriend—Zach and Alex, Liberty High’s ‘IT’ couple if you may,” Jessica continued sarcastically, feigning annoyance but tone filled with fondness at witnessing her two friend’s being so perfect for each other. 

“Wow, good for them,” the new girl responded, smiling at the pair that were yet to halt their prolonged make-out. 

“Wow, indeed.” 

**2.**

The adrenaline could be felt from the pitch to the stands, flowing right around the stadium. It was the sort of tension people craved because it came right before the elation. There was something about that, the possibility of joy rather than the certainty that made it all the more satisfying and exhilarating. 

There were 16 minutes on the clock before the season came to its end and the Tiger’s needed a miracle try in order to take this game. Zach wasn’t too confident but the electric atmosphere had him reeling with an unrestrained need to make this game theirs. His eyes frantically skimmed over the crowd, desperately seeking those green orbs that could reinstate that feeling of purpose and hope again. Eventually, Alex’s eyes found his; expression confused at Zach’s temporary paralysis before nodding fondly at the taller boy, the simple knowingness and confidence emanating off Alex immediately filled Zach with hope and purpose. 

6 minutes before it would’ve ended spectacularly disastrous for them, Zach scored the winning touchdown. 

The crowd roared, his teammates beamed with expressions of mixed joy and shock, serenading Zach with uncontained praise and suffocating hugs. Just as Zach was about to make his way to the stands, Luke hauled him onto his broad shoulders, the team huddled around him, thundering voices chanting war cries and bouncing around with palpable excitement as they hailed their star player. 

Zach basked in the attention and exhilaration before pushing himself off Luke’s shoulders and again, attempted to make his way toward the stands. But alas, it seemed like everyone was trying to get in the way of him reaching the one thing he needed above all. 

The cheerleader sported the burgundy hues of the opposing team, eyes wide and suggestive. Zach was filled with resigned annoyance, attempting to sidestep the blonde girl but her overbearing insistence had him rooted in place. 

“Hey, what’s the rush, handsome?” she inquired brusquely, index finger coming up to trace at the 85 printed on his uniform. 

At the very moment that Zach was about to awkwardly reject the girl’s advances, a mess of long, slender limbs abruptly crashed into his chest, legs coming up to firmly wrap around his waist. Zach immediately grasped at the familiar figure’s thighs, holding his boyfriend in place as his lips upturned into an insanely bright smile at finally having Alex in his arms. Just as Zach was about to exchange casual pleasantries with the shorter boy he was cut off by Alex’s bruising lips on his—hot, fiery, passionate and demanding. Alex was on a mission, consuming Zach’s lips as if they were his lifeline and Zach felt himself so easily surrender. Zach was deaf to the collective gasps from the crowd, the string of shocked curses from the opponents and encouraging bellowing from his team mates because all he could feel was Alex. As Alex drew his tongue over Zach’s teeth, the jock was forced to swallow his groan of pleasure and pull away to avoid getting carried away in front of prying eyes, pants already feeling uncomfortably tight at Alex’s unforeseen albeit annoyingly sexy boldness. 

Zach had forgotten about the cheerleader until Alex acknowledged her with dark eyes and a fake sweet tone, right hand coming around to grasp at Zach’s ass in an obvious display of unconcealed jealousy and possession. 

“I’m sorry, did you need something?” Alex asked forwardly, hand still firm and unrelenting on Zach’s behind. 

Zach could only chuckle at the surreality of it all, hiding his head in Alex’s shoulder as the girls face reddened even further in embarrassment, spewing incoherent apologises before fleeing the scene. 

“Standall, you never fail to surprise me—jealousy isn’t a bad look on you,” Zach said cheekily, nuzzling at Alex’s neck before placing a wet kiss just below his ear. 

“Don’t flatter yourself, Dempsey… it was more to save you from a situation you obviously couldn’t have gotten out of,” Alex replied in fake snark, eyes fond and tinged with barely concealed desire. 

Zach remembered his lower region’s current predicament, grasping at his helmet to cover said area because the intensity of Alex’s gaze was doing nothing to quell the smouldering heat in the pit of his stomach. 

“Stop it,” Zach nearly moaned, catching himself at the last second before feeling his face heat up. 

“Let’s get out of here then,” Alex suggested lowly, eyes blatantly clear of his intention. 

Zach abruptly grabbed his boyfriend’s hand before impatient tugging them to his car. 

**3.**

Alex was livid. Livid like, boiling anger as hot as lava, moments from reducing a city to ash sort of livid. If he was feeling this sort of barely concealed rage, what Zach must’ve been feeling was another thing entirely. The Homecoming game was an absolute shit-show, what started off as a political demonstration from Jess and HO members ended in multiple injuries, bruised faces and grim expressions. Zach’s knee was completely totalled, doctors concurring that he wouldn’t be able to play ball for a good 4-5 months and that was only if he was able to pull through the intensive PT. Alex knew what that meant for Zach’s college scholarships, many of them relying on his active participation in football to secure his spot in places that wouldn’t otherwise consider him on academic merit alone. It fucking sucked. 

They sat in Zach’s car, knee-deep in silence, the air was so brittle it could’ve snapped at a slight whisper. Zach let out a slow controlled breath and attempted to loosen the tightness in his shoulders, a weak attempt at smothering some of the fury that was so potently projecting off his jittery state. Alex took no offence to Zach’s warranted indignation, allowing his presence to ease the jock as much as it could, right thumb coming up to tentatively trace at the bruises that adorned his face. Zach leaned into his touched, eyes haunted with unconcealed fury, melancholy at the potential loss of his future but still emanating overt fondness and love as his eyes lazily took in Alex. Zach’s own thumb had come up to press firmly at Alex’s bottom lip, considering him tentatively before dropping his hand to grasp at Alex’s own. 

“What do you wanna do?” Alex asked in soft hesitance, eyes skimming over Zach’s face to ensure that he wasn’t overstepping. 

“I want to fucking destroy Bryce,” Zach replied blankly only seconds later, eyes devoid of emotion and expression one of cool indifference. 

If not to quell some of Zach’s fury, nonetheless, his own—Alex felt that Zach had every right to feel that way and _god forbid_ that the fucking rapist got a taste of his own medicine every once in a while. Alex wished that he could blame the steroids at the glee that filled him at making Bryce pay but he had been clean for weeks now—it was just his own cruel, and sadistic mind. Cruel? Wishing ill on a rapist didn’t seem cruel, it felt like the warranted and justified response. Wishing ill on the guy that could’ve potentially taken his boyfriend’s future away, wasn’t cruel—it was fucking justice. 

“Ok, let’s go then,” Alex replied shrewdly, eyes firm and unrelenting as they gazed back at Zach. 

"What?” Zach echoed in shock, brows furrowed at the sheer intensity of Alex’s determination. 

“Let’s go and fucking destroy Bryce,” Alex replied seriously, accentuating each syllable sharply. 

Zach felt the simmering anger return full-force at Alex’s insistence, nodding his head acutely before turning on the engine.

* * *

Only minutes later they were at the docks, Bryce’s mindlessly prancing silhouette visible from where they sat parked. 

“You’re not going to try and stop me?” Zach asked softly, eyes lightly pleading for Alex to relay some fabricated tale about how he’s better than Bryce and shouldn’t stoop to his level but his boyfriend was anything but cruelly idealistic, he would tell Zach exactly what he thought—explicitly and unapologetically. 

“No, you don’t owe him anything, never have, never will,” Alex replied bitterly, eyes unyieldingly trained on the offender’s silhouette, gaze unnerving Zach in the slightest as if pre-planning an assault wasn’t unnerving and fucked up enough.

_Fuck it all_

“I love you,” the taller boy found himself saying, Alex’s eyes softening as they finally found his.

“I love you too,” he replied, squeezing at Zach’s hand in his grasp. 

Something about being here felt worse than it should have and to quell the anxiety threatening to consume him, Zach pulled Alex in for a hungry kiss. It was bruising, tongues fighting for dominance and hands roaming around each other’s skin incessantly—feeding off the residual tension and extremity of what he was about to do. Zach tried to prolong the kiss but they eventually came up for air, his thumb still caressing Alex’s cheek. 

“You stay here,” Zach huffed out, still trying to regain his breath.

“No—I’m coming with you,” Alex began, pulling back slightly in annoyance. 

“Alex—.”

“Zach, I said I’m coming with you,” he retorted with an air of finality. 

Alex’s stubbornness was unlike any he had ever come across, his mother included and he knew a lost cause when he saw one. He sighed before they both unbuckled their seatbelts and made their way toward the now still silhouette. 

Bryce was obviously dumbfounded at finding that the approaching figures were not Jessica, eye’s crinkling to take in the dark, foreboding figures that made their way towards him.

“Zachy…,” he began hesitantly, before acknowledging Alex’s presence behind him, “Alex…”. 

“Didn’t expect to see you two here… what’s up, friends?” Bryce questioned, feigning obliviousness. 

“Fuck you!” Zach spat maliciously, right hand coming up to strike at Bryce’s jaw when the other jock taunted his injury.

Alex stepped away a little but staying close enough to help Zach if need be.

“I should fucking kill you!” Zach sneered, punching Bryce in the torso before using a moment of leverage to pull back at Bryce’s arm, the resounding break of bones and Bryce’s screams were inexplicably loud in the silence of the night. 

Alex felt himself cringe at the obvious damage done but felt that familiar sense of glee return at Bryce finally experiencing even an ounce of the pain that he had inflicted on others. The glee still remained, even as Zach incessantly battered his face into the pavement, feeling a rush of pleasure trickle down his spine at seeing his boyfriend in an abstraction of unparalleled power, a glory of muscular strength and rage, battered knee practically unable to impede his assault. 

_Fuck, it was sick to get hard to this. He was so fucked up._

Alex was so lost in the shameful haze of pleasure that he almost missed Bryce’s next words.

“A—Alex, get your fu—fucking sicko boyfriend off me,” he begged, face bruised and pathetic. 

“Sorry, I’ve got a leg thing you know, being a cripple and all,” he pertly retorted. 

He heard Zach chuckle, be it at Bryce’s expense of Alex’s clipped humour—Alex didn’t know but he was glad that he could make Zach laugh even when they were doing something totally fucked up. Zach threw in a few more punches for effect before towering off Bryce’s meek, pathetic state.

“Big man… scary, fucking Bryce,” he spat. 

Bryce was a whiny, battered mess under their stare, Alex coming over to Zach’s side to observe the damage done before confirming that the beat boy could walk, his arm would be in a cast for a couple of weeks but the injuries wouldn't incapacitate him. 

Alex pressed a light kiss to Zach’s cheek and just as they were about to walk away, Bryce had to run his mouth some more. 

“You fucking faggots deserve each other… Does he scream, Zach? Does he suck your dick like a dirty whore?” Bryce began, halting Zach’s step as the taller boy started trembling at the way he spoke about Alex.

Alex was unfazed by his remarks, aware that it was only an attempt to rile up Zach some more. Alex squeezed at Zach’s hand reassuringly, eyes locked on the taller boy’s in an attempt to communicate that it was time for them to walk away. Zach’s expression was still haunted with venom, eyes stoically trained on the battered figure groaning on the pavement, even as Alex guided him back to the car. 

But Bryce wouldn't let up. 

“Do you ram into him until he cries, Zachy? Do you make his hole bleed? I can show you a good time, Alex…,” Bryce snarked, slightly chuckling, the implication of his last comment was not lost to the two and that’s when Zach snapped. 

Alex froze for a second as fear washed over him at recalling what had happened to Tyler before he came back to witness pure malice and fury consume Zach. Zach’s foot rammed into Bryce’s side, heavy and unyielding before striking him in the face to where Alex could almost hear Bryce’s brain rattle inside his skull. The final blow came when Zach crushed both of Bryce’s knees under his dominant foot, the sound of crunching bones equally as satisfying as it was unpleasant. 

“Don’t you ever fucking go near him, if you even breathe or so much as look at him—I will fucking end you,” he spat so venomously, even as tears unceremoniously raced down his cheeks. 

Alex was deaf to Bryce’s string of curses and cries of pain as strong arms wrapped around him, tight and safe. He felt himself immediately melt into Zach’s embrace, right hand coming up to the softly stroke at his hair as Zach softly cried into his shoulder—Bryce’s aforementioned comment obviously filling the taller boy with dread and unconcealed fear. Alex only gripped back tighter. 

“I love you,” Alex softly breathed into his neck.

The profession of love only had Zach crying harder and squeezing Alex impossibly tighter, as though he would disappear from his arms at any given moment. Alex felt his eyes prick at Zach’s frail condition, a boy so full of love and so determined to safeguard it that Bryce's implied assault on Alex had prompted his impending collapse. Alex didn’t know what to do with love that strong and unconditional—love that was solely for him but if anything, he would protect it with his life.

Eventually, Zach’s cries reduced to slight whimpers and sniffles as Alex tentatively removed him from their embrace, allowing Zach to squeeze his hand bruisingly because he knew that the other boy needed to feel him as much as possible, especially now. 

“Let’s go,” Zach said waterily, turning away from Bryce and tugging Alex towards the car.

“Zach—we can’t leave him here, he can’t walk…,” he began tentatively, tugging back at Zach’s outstretched arm. 

“Fuck him, let him freeze to death for all I care,” he remarked bitterly. 

“Zach—you don’t mean that… we have to help him.”

Zach looked away stubbornly, eyes trained on the car and practically begging Alex to abandon Bryce so they could get away from it all. Alex wanted nothing more than to leave this place but if Bryce froze to death, Zach would most definitely go to jail—he couldn’t lose him. 

Alex took Zach’s silence as a clear no, deciding that it was on him to help out the battered asshole. Zach watched on blankly as Alex made his way over to Bryce. As though coming back to himself, he called out Alex’s name in fear.

“Alex—no, he’ll…” he began, tone wavering.

“He can’t do anything to me, Zach… he’s broken all over.”

Bryce groaned in anger at them regarding his frail state with such flippancy. 

“Fuck you both, you’ll pay…” Bryce began, tone muffled and pained as Alex tugged harshly at his broken arms, not attempting to ease the guy’s pain whatsoever. 

Alex saw Zach turn away, making his way toward the car—probably to turn on the engine and bring the vehicle closer. 

Alex hauled the meek figure up, attempting to straighten his battered body but failing spectacularly given Bryce’s two broken legs, Alex cringed as he saw his ankle roll to an uncomfortable angle, eliciting another merciless cry. It was the kind of scream that made your blood run cold. It pierced the brain and ignited some primeval pathway. Bryce’s pain only added to his already boiling rage, causing the jock to spew more incoherent threats that Alex pointedly ignored. 

Only seconds later, Zach had brought the car closer and was defeatedly making his way over to help out Alex. If the taller boy had been a few metres closer, the next few minutes may have panned out very differently. 

“Fucking, Zach! I’m gonna fuck up your other knee and wreck your fucking life,” Bryce hysterically threatened, eyeing Zach with a vicious, predatory gaze. 

Alex felt the familiar darkness brewing beneath the surface, seconds from re-emerging. Bryce’s blatant threat to ruin Zach’s life even further only added to his fury, feeling a vicious, overprotectiveness wash over him. 

“You’re not gonna do anything to Zach,” Alex retorted with shaky adamance. 

“I’m gonna fucking destroy him!”

The darkness was mere moments away from consuming him. It was suffocating his body like a damp, musty, thick blanket, clinging to every inch of his pale skin. As Bryce went on to make outrageous claims about Jessica setting him up, Alex felt himself completely give way to it. 

Zach must’ve sensed a change in his aura because only seconds later he sped up his approach and called out his name hesitantly.

“Alex—”.

Alex looked into Bryce's snake-like eyes—eyes so full of rage, contempt, pain and underlying malignity that could never truly be tempered. At that moment, his subconscious had committed the crime for him. 

He thought of Jessica, Hannah, Zach, Clay, Justin, Tyler, the countless innocent girls, his gang of like-minded crooks that he enabled, the fucked up system, the cruelty of life for allowing someone like Bryce to roam free. The cycle needed to be broken. 

“You’ve hurt everyone I’ve ever loved”.

The entire sequence was an out of body experience, Zach’s cries for him to wait were muffled by the fervid darkness that spoke volumes, reverberating in his mind and soul. Bryce’s shocked curses went similarly unnoticed because only moments later he expelled all his strength into one firm shove, propelling Bryce into the river. 

“Alex!” Zach screamed in terror, mere centimetres from impeding the fatality. 

The duo watched helplessly in horror as Bryce begged for help, incoherent pleas being muffled by the assault of water and soon becoming inaudible as he took his final breath. Alex felt the blood drain from his face as the lingering darkness dissipated, temporarily incapacitating him as his brain scrambled to make sense of what he’d just done. Alex tried to breathe but the air wouldn’t go in, it was like his lungs were surrounded by metal bars. Zach took in his heaving state, shakily pulling the smaller boy into a tight embrace. Zach unsteadily relayed how they were okay, how they’d get through this, how thankful he was for having someone as strong and fierce as Alex, how he’d protect him until the end and familiar sentiments of love. 

Alex could only tighten his arms around his boyfriend’s waist in a pitiful attempt to quell the tremors that pulsed through his skin. 

**4.**

Zach always gave football his all, be it a practice or a game—the effort counted for more in the long run and he knew that. It was the end of another practice, and his skin had that familiar glossy sheen of sweat, uniform so wet it needed wringing out and hair adamantly plastered to his scalp. He needed a long, cold shower and ran toward the change rooms in a naive attempt to secure a stench-free shower but as the team walked into the room the stench of stale sweat walked in with them. He wrinkled his nose—aware of his blatant hypocrisy. 

He aimlessly scrolled through his phone, checking for any new texts from Alex and ignoring all else that didn’t demand his immediate attention. His boyfriend had a knack for religiously avoiding the need to text, a plausible excuse when his left hand hadn’t acquired it’s current mobility but a habit that seemed to have carried through nonetheless. The calls lasted from a few seconds to a good couple of hours and though Zach feigned amused annoyance, he cherished those few seconds of getting to hear Alex’s voice—even if they were to share a class the next period. Just as he was about to call Alex, the shorter boy entered the locker room. 

Alex was welcomed with an array of responses, the football team harboured a soft spot for their beloved quarterback and captain’s boyfriend, and made sure to tease him accordingly. Alex flipped off their chafing remarks and half-hearted insults before making his way over to Zach, who found himself beaming in that familiar way he always did around Alex. 

“Hey,” Alex said slyly, mouth upturned in an almost cocky smirk. 

“Hey?” Zach replied in question, brows furrowed at Alex’s clear mischief in action. 

“Whatcha up to?” He asked, smirk now obviously cocky. 

“Alex…,” Zach said slowly, eyes narrowed in mocking observance.

Zach was a stinking mess and desperately wanted to shower just so he could kiss Alex senselessly. Clearly, said odour did not faze Alex as much. 

“You have no business looking so good while drenched in litres of sweat,” he retorted lightly, leaning his side against the locker before taking in Zach’s bare chest. 

The wolf whistles from the team caused Alex to roll his eyes in response, a small smile still plastered on his face. 

“Let me get a quick shower in and then we can get out of here, yeah?” Zach replied lowly, voice lowered to a whisper to keep the clear intention between them.

Alex leaned closer, nose now slightly wrinkling at Zach’s odour before placing a quick peck on his lips and nodding in agreement. 

Zach felt himself yield in that way he always did around Alex, immediately grasping at the smaller boy’s hips as Alex tried to slyly move away, smirk still present at the blatant hold he had over Zach. Zach made sure to kiss him senselessly, the shorter boy melting against him before they were forced to come up for air. 

“Yeah, you should probably go and shower big man,” Alex teased back, retracting himself from Zach’s bruising grip around his waist. 

Not wanting to waste another second, Zach quickly huddled his towel and placed a sloppy, wet kiss on Alex’s forehead.

“I’ll be quick,” he said hurriedly, unbeknownst to the smirk on Alex’s face. 

* * *

Zach made his way out of the calming cloud of steam, toes flinching as they touched the chilled ceramic floor. The locker room had cleared up in the last 10 minutes but a couple of his teammates still lingered—either taking their time or engaged in conversation. He made his way over to the bench that he had left his fresh pair of clothes upon—frozen to the spot when he found it empty. He also noticed Alex’s abrupt disappearance, suddenly putting two and two together before he scoffed in humoured annoyance. His eyes scanned over the lockers before spotting the snickering boy at the door, arm outstretched with Zach’s clothes and shaking them at him mischievously. 

“Alex!” Zach shouted, “Come back here!” he chuckled but his voice still firm.

“Come and get me,” Alex snarked back mischievously, backing out of the room as Zach made his way towards him. 

“Alex…,” Zach said hesitantly, now wary about the boy’s next actions—the two of them frozen in place and waiting for the other to take the next step.

Zach watched him with an annoyed, fond smile while Alex’s dark eyes just traced down his chest littered with drops of drying water. Zach had to stifle his own desire, hoping that Alex was distracted enough for him to quickly run over and snatch his clothes back. Unfortunately for him, Alex snapped out of his trance as soon as Zach moved forward—running into the hallway.

Zach groaned in frustration, immediately chasing after Alex—hand taut on the towel around his waist. Unbeknownst to him, students were moving to their next period and many stopped to gape at the scene. Zach’s face turned obnoxiously red at the attention, aware of the whistles and dark looks from passing girls. 

“Zach Dempsey, way to get a girl’s attention—my day has certainly been made,” Laura teased, eyes darkly trained on his chest as he attempted to respond—mouth opening and closing awkwardly. 

Zach could see Alex’s smile drop from across the hall, his attempt at a cheeky, fun time—having definitely not gone to plan. His murderous eyes bore lasers into the back of Laura’s head—glares directed at all the girls and guys sparing Zach suggestive looks. The fiery of the two made his way toward Laura and Zach, fury and jealousy evident in his eyes as he pulled Zach’s tank over his head—stretching himself up by his toes to get the fabric over Zach’s head. Zach felt himself chuckle in response but Alex’s unimpressed, fuming look had him shutting up and quietly pulling his arms through the sleeves. 

After successfully having covered his chest, Alex wrapped his arm around Zach’s waist—being sure to make himself very comfortable and explicit about exactly what he was to Zach.

“Well, Laura—as you can see, the show’s over,” he snarked back in response, eyes firm and lethal. 

“Alex—I—sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it—I,” she stuttered back embarrassedly. 

“Yeah—I would hope not,” he smiled back fakely, voice filled with barely concealed malice. 

Laura took it as her cue to leave, excusing herself apologetically before hurrying down the hall. Zach broke then, chuckling into Alex’s hair before the other boy pushed him away half-heartedly—face still impassive and annoyed. 

“What?” Zach chuckled out.

“You suck,” Alex mumbled, rolling his eyes as he dragged Zach back toward the change rooms.

“I suck? I’m sorry—who took my clothes, again?” He asked in fake curiosity.

Alex rolled his eyes and smiled slightly, “Yeah—well you still suck for being so obnoxiously hot that I have to fight off over a dozen girls per day,” he remarked flatly. 

Zach giggled, nosing at Alex’s neck, “You know you’re like crazy sexy too?” Zach whispered into his ear. 

“Stop—,” Alex groaned back, whining at having his fun ruined.

“I’ve had to fight off plenty of dudes that want something more than friendship but you’re somehow oblivious to that,” Zach replied, following after Alex’s retreating form.

“That’s not even—it’s not the same.”

“It's the exact same!” he shouted back, “Alex! Hey… come back, baby,” he shouted at his back, chuckling at the middle finger he got in reply. 

He quickly made his way to the change rooms, tugging on his shorts and grabbing his bag before hurriedly chasing after Alex—not surprised to find the other boy waiting against the wall across from the change room. 

Zach couldn’t contain his goofy, large grin—feeling giddy at knowing that Alex would’ve been there anyway. Alex rolled his eyes before resting his head on Zach’s chest.

“You’re an ass,” he mumbled into his chest, arms tight around Zach’s waist. 

“But you love me anyway,” Zach chuckled back.

“Ugh, shut up but yeah.”

**5.**

Alex had insisted that he wasn’t even that cold but given his inability to hide the way his teeth clattered together and arms swaddled around his thin body—Zach could see right through him. He immediately pulled off his letterman and outstretched his arm to give it to Alex.

“No, Zach—I swore to myself that we’d never be one of those couples,” he let out with clenched teeth, immediately rejecting his offer.

“Alex—you’re literally shaking like a leaf so stop being a grump and take it,” he retorted firmly. 

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No, Zach—,” Alex began, his protests immediately silenced by Zach slipping the jacket around his shoulders before buttoning up the front. Alex rolled his eyes at the way Zach beamed uncontainably at getting his way and the obvious sight of his tiny stature in his obnoxiously huge jacket. 

“Oh god—you look adorable, baby,” he chuckled, teasingly rotating Alex’s cheeks in his humongous hands.

“Ugh—get off me, don’t you have morning practice?” Alex asked, diverting the topic because he hated being called adorable—it made him feel like a child. 

“Oh shit, you’re right—it completely slipped my mind,” Zach replied hurriedly, the reminder causing him to look down at his watch before his eyes widened, “Fuck—gotta go, I’ll see you at lunch,” he quickly let out, kissing Alex on the cheek before running down the halls and toward the field. 

* * *

Alex massaged his throbbing temples as he glanced at another flashcard. The words seemed to blur together. He blinked rapidly and pressed his forehead onto the card, as if that could imprint it in his memory, leaning back in his chair he glanced at the ceiling before forcing his gaze back down to the table. He stifled a yawn and rubbed his bleary eyes, the unnerving feeling of prying eyes on him causing him to direct his gaze toward the offender across the room. 

At being caught, the guy’s piercing eyes immediately returned back to the book he was reading but only a few seconds later, unsure brown eyes met his again with a slight, uneven smile that Alex felt himself return. He didn’t know the guy but had seen his face in passing over the last week—they might’ve even shared a class together. It was obvious that he was new and Alex knew that feeling all too well. Before he knew it, the mysterious new kid had made his way over to him.

“Uh, hey—it’s Alex, right?” He asked hesitantly, voice slightly accented.

Alex took a minute to observe him. His curls were midnight black and his eyes were dark brown, framed by graceful brows. His skin was tanned and he had prominent cheekbones, a well-defined chin and nose. Given his accent and appearance, he was probably South Asian and was easy on the eyes too—not that he’d ever tell Zach that. It was perfectly okay to admire a beautiful person, beauty was beauty—it didn’t mean anything.

“Um, yeah—sorry, you are?” Alex asked sheepishly. 

“Oh—I—I’m Ishaan, we have History together,” he chuckled back. 

“Nice to meet you…,” Alex continued awkwardly, wishing the ground would swallow him up and away from his weird altercation. 

“Sorry, I—oh wow, you’re on the team?” He asked curiously, brows furrowed as he observed the letterman. 

Alex felt himself let out a hearty laugh at that. Alex? On the football team? Not even his worst nightmare would put him through something like that, and being at Zach’s weekly games were tortuous enough—not that he’d ever admit that because Zach’s cruelly tight white pants gave him a great view. 

“Me? Me—I—Jesus, no—I don’t think a lanky, half-cripple fits the description of elitist jock,” he heaved out between gasps of laughter.

Ishaan chuckled sheepishly, obviously caught between trying to find the right words and not say anything at all.

“Oh right—no, that’s my bad,” he continued unsurely. 

“No, it’s all good—actually it’s my boy—,” just as Alex was about to clarify the jacket situation, the golden retriever walked in with Diego and Justin following along—their hands entangled together as they chuckled at something manically. Out of all the couples that Liberty had ever produced, those two had to be the strangest—it was a weird case of a rivals to friends to lovers kind of jam. 

But at that very moment, Alex could barely spare them a glance because he found himself gaping at what Zach was wearing. It was Alex’s shirt and it couldn’t even be called a shirt at this point because on Zach’s gigantic, muscled form it was a badly tailored crop top which the taller boy flaunted unapologetically. Alex rolled his eyes in earnest, returning Zach’s infectious grin but eyes still tinged with amusement—ever since they had started dating, Zach had become more open to expressing himself, be it in clothing or the way he carried himself. It was freeing to see. 

Alex could see the mixed expression from the onlookers, ranging from looks of blatant shock, admiration, curiosity, some wore satisfied, impressed expressions and some spared the occasional look of disgust which Alex immediately disregarded. Their entire relationship was a public spectacle, Zach in a crop top was such a futile thing and everyone knew it—they were a force to be reckoned with by simply being them. 

Zach’s large arms immediately came around to wrap around Alex’s neck—prompting Alex to tilt his head up to gaze up at the ray of sunshine. Only seconds later, he was enjoying the feeling of Zach’s soft lips on his own—the odd angle not quelling the way he smiled into the kiss. Eventually, they pulled away at Justin and Diego’s groaning insistence, as if the two of them were any better. 

“Hey,” Zach whispered, gazing so intensely into his eyes.

“Hey,” Alex replied like it was their own secret. 

The clearing of a throat had them slightly pulling apart, Alex feeling the way his cheeks slightly warmed at having forgotten that Ishaan was still there. Zach’s arms tightened around his neck, chin perched on top of his head as he observed the other boy—smile still evident but now possessing a firmness to it.

“Who’s this?” Zach asked curiously but voice flat and lacking its usual cheer—Alex felt himself chuckle at Zach finally understanding what a bitch jealousy was. 

“Zach, this is Ishaan—Ishaan, this is Zach—my boyfriend, quarterback, football captain and owner of this jacket,” he relayed, introducing the two and clearing up his previous statement. 

“Nice to meet you officially man—I was at tryouts this morning actually,” Ishaan remarked excitedly. 

“Right… I knew I recognised you, you’ve got a good arm,” Zach replied, stretching out the ‘t’ for emphasis but voice still strained and firm despite the compliment—leave it to him to still be nice even when jealous. 

“Oh, thanks man.”

“Sure—uh, actually—Alex and I should get going—you know, things to do,” he smiled back with fake sweetness, eyes flickering down to look at Alex cautiously.

Ishaan was oblivious to the scene, “Uh—yeah, no—that’s cool. Uh, Alex—maybe we can hang out sometime? Do some History homework together, I heard you’re pretty great at it,” He asked softly. 

“Uh, yeah—sure, I don’t see why not,” Alex replied, feeling the way Zach’s jaw tightened from its perch on his head. 

Ishaan smiled brightly, excusing himself and patting at Zach’s arm before walking off. 

“Maybe we can hang out sometime and do some homework,” Zach mocked as soon as Ishaan left, pitching his voice to an obnoxiously high level and souring his face in annoyance. 

Alex rolled his eyes in amusement, “Don’t throw such a fit—it’s homework.”

“Yeah—homework with a dangerously hot guy with an aura of mystery. I don’t like it,” Zach pouted stubbornly. 

Alex chuckled, “Welcome to my world—jealousy’s a bitch isn’t it?”

“I’m not jealous,” Zach retorted stubbornly. 

“Whatever you say, baby, also you should definitely wear my clothes more often.”


End file.
